Chasing Sunsets
by Cindy Ryan
Summary: CJ/Danny--What if Danny had been out of town during the shooting?


TWW  
"Chasing sunsets"  
  
Summary: A what if take on the shooting  
  
Notes: Single quotation marks indicate a flashback  
  
Danny Concanon absently paged through a spy novel as he sat in London's Heathrow airport. He had come to England a week ago on a much-needed vacation now he was waiting for the flight home. His editor hadn't been too happy at Danny's choice of vacation time but he really didn't have a choice.  
All the Bartlet administration had planned for this week was a town hall meeting at the Newesum and any rookie reporter could cover that.  
Especially with things being strained between he and C.J. Danny had been grateful to get out of D.C. for a few days.  
A chance to give them both some space.  
  
Danny set the book on his lap and glanced at his watch. Forty five minutes till boarding. Part of Danny regretted not telling C.J. he was leaving but the other part was still angry enough to think that she deserved it.  
Danny tried to return his attention back to his book but memories of their fight kept coming back.  
  
'Do you know who has it?'  
  
'I do.'  
  
'You have it?'  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
'Are you going to use it?'  
  
'It's news, C.J.'  
  
The insistent ringing of his cell phone dragged Danny back to the present. "Concanon?"  
  
"Danny, it's Susan Johnson...."  
  
Danny sighed. "Sue, I'm on vacation for the next twelve hours give or take the time difference."  
  
"There's been a shooting."  
  
Danny sat bolt upright. Something in his friend's voice told Danny that this wasn't a run of the mill D.C. crime.   
  
"The President?"Danny asked with concern.  
  
"They were at the Newseum tonight and somebody opened fire as they walked to the cars. You know how Bartlet can't resist a rope line."  
  
"Was Bartlet hit?"Danny demanded as he reached into his coat pocket for the small notepad he always kept there.  
  
"We don't know anything right now. The White House is on lock down."Susan replied in a strained voice."Danny, there's something you should know. I was there that's the only reason I know this for sure."  
  
"C.J.?"Danny asked in a choked whisper that some how Susan heard.  
  
"Sam tried to pull her down but he wasn't quick enough. Danny, she was alive when they put her in the ambulance but it looked pretty bad."  
  
Danny nearly dropped the phone catching it just before it hit the floor.  
All his years covering the White House had taught him that the White House was a different world all it's own where anything could happen and usually did.  
But a shooting?  
Not since Regan had there been an assassination attempt.  
Sue's word's rang in Danny's ears.......  
/Sam tried to pull her down....looked pretty bad....../  
  
"Danny?"  
  
"Danny.....you still with us?"  
  
Danny slowly lifted the phone to his hear. "Yeah. Do you know which hospital?"  
  
"GWU."Susan replied quietly. "If I find anything out about CJ you'll be the first to know."  
  
"Thanks Sue for letting me know."Danny replied as he stood. "My flight leaves here in twenty minutes. I'm going there straight from the airport."  
  
*********  
  
For Danny the six-hour flight was agonizing. He spent most of it burning up his credit card with phone  
calls.  
Calls that went unanswered.  
Calls that got a busy signal  
Calls to news friends and colleagues who couldn't tell him anything he didn't already know.  
  
Finally about four hours into the flight Danny got a hold of the Deputy Communications Director. The one  
person Danny knew would tell him the truth.  
  
"Sam, how's CJ?"Danny demanded as soon as Seaborn said hello.  
  
Sam started to reply but his voice cracked. He leaned heavily against the wall of the waiting room. "Danny,  
this is off the record...."  
  
"Sam, I'm on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic. I just heard about the shooting. I don't give a damn  
about the record."  
  
Sam glanced down at his left arm which was in a sling.The last few hours had been the worst of Sam's life  
and it didn't look like the day was going to improve.  
  
"She's still in surgery, Danny."Sam replied hoarsely."The bullet lodged near her left kidney."  
  
"What are the docs saying?"Danny asked fighting the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to overwhelm  
him.  
  
"Danny, she's in the best possible hands...."  
  
"The bottom line, Sam....."  
  
"If she makes it through surgery they give her a 60/40 chance."Sam whispered as unwanted memories came  
flooding back.  
  
Danny swallowed hard as he leaned back in his seat.  
  
"How's the President?"Danny asked several minutes later.  
  
"He was hit but the injuries were minor. He's out of surgery and resteing."Sam replied.  
  
"I'm glad he's okay."Danny stated genuinely relieved that Bartlet was on the mend.  
  
"So are we."Sam replied just as Toby approached."I gotta go, Danny."  
  
"Take care of her until I get there."  
  
"I will. CJ's the strongest person I know, Danny.She'll pull through this."  
  
"She better."Concanon replied with a grim smile."She owes me a dinner."  
  
*****  
  
After his call to Sam, Danny leaned back and tried to get some sleep.  
But his tortured thoughts wouldn't let him rest. All Danny could think of was CJ lying on an operating  
table fighting for her life.  
  
The last words they had said to each other had been so harsh. Danny hoped they would get a chance to mend things.  
  
********  
  
It was early afternoon before Danny finally got to George Washington University Hospital. Due to a  
thunder storm Danny's flight had spent forty minutes circling before they were finally allowed to land.  
  
As he entered the waiting room Danny saw Donna, Sam and Charlie sitting on various sofas.  
Sam approached Danny. "She came out of surgery fine.I'll take you to her."  
  
"She awake?"Danny asked anxiously.  
  
Sam shook his head. "No."  
  
"How's your arm?"Danny inquired as they walked toward ICU.  
  
"Just a graze."  
  
"Anybody else hurt?"  
  
"Josh."Sam replied tightly. "Took fourteen hours to repair the damage."  
  
Danny winced. "But he's okay?"  
  
"Yeah."Sam replied as they stopped in front of ICU.  
  
"Oh God."Danny whispered as he took in CJ's still form....after hours of imagining the worst....finally  
seeing her brought some comfort.  
  
Sam placed a reassuring hand on the reporter's shoulder."You can go in."  
  
Danny hesitated. "I'm the last thing she needs to see when she wakes up. We had a huge fight before I left."  
  
Sam shook his head. "None of that matters. CJ needs all of her friends right now."  
  
Danny nodded and pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.  
  
Sam watched for a minute before turning to leave, it was his turn to sit with Josh.  
  
Danny walked over to CJ's bed and gently took her right hand in his.  
  
********  
  
It was forty-eight hours later before CJ was awake enough to have visitors.  
The first person CJ saw when she woke from a nap was Sam.  
  
CJ reached for Sam's injured arm gingerly touching the sling. "You're hurt."  
  
Sam caught her hand. "Just a scratch."  
  
CJ met his gaze. "I hear that I owe you my life."  
  
Sam swallowed hard and shook his head. "I'm hardly a hero, CJ. If I had moved quicker you wouldn't be here at all."  
  
CJ squeezed his hand. "Sam, if you hadn't pulled me down when you did, I'd be dead. Thank you."  
  
Sam nodded not trusting his voice.  
  
"Danny's waiting outside."Sam stated breaking the long silence."Actually he's been here since he got back  
from vacation two days ago."  
  
CJ leaned back against the pillow letting go of Sam's hand. "We had a fight."  
  
"I don't think he cares about that now, CJ."  
  
CJ nodded."Tell him to come in."  
  
"Okay."Sam replied softly. "I'll be back later."  
  
*******  
  
"Hey."Danny said quietly a few minutes later as he reached her side.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like I've been shot."  
  
"You gave me a hell of a scare."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Do you think we can start over with a clean slate? Forget about the fights, the memo, everything?"  
  
CJ reached over and took his hand in hers. "I'd like that."  
  
Danny smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "I love you."He whispered.  
  
CJ touched his face gently. "I love you too."She replied just as their lips met.  
  
End  
  
  
  
  



End file.
